


Offering Oneself

by mayamaia



Category: Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-20
Updated: 2012-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-08 04:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayamaia/pseuds/mayamaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A pensive moment watching the dance</p>
            </blockquote>





	Offering Oneself

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a photo prompt from glennagirl for the Summer Solstice challenge at mfu_scrapbook.livejournal.com

********

She danced. On stage, in loose pants and a top that ended before it began, swaying and undulating and full of smiles focused on a man in the front row, she displayed and portrayed and repaid all the sweetest dreams that man could dream of woman. Her hair flamed and flared brighter even than the silk shawl that snapped and flowed around her.

Two agents, playing decoy opponents so attention would not be drawn to the dancer, sat back and watched her perfect her flirtations with the THRUSH mastermind of the evening.

Illya Kuryakin spoke without turning to his partner. "Do you ever wonder if you could do that?"

Napoleon Solo answered, "I have. That Italian restaurant?"

The Russian sighed and corrected, "No. Offering herself like that, to a known enemy."

Solo looked at his partner in disbelief. "...I have."

Illya studied his partner's face and asked, "Have you really? Even in our enlightened age, there is a high degree of vulnerability for a woman making herself available like this. She is, as I said, offering herself. You offer something else, not yourself, so can you ever be choosing vulnerability?"

The American scowled. "This from a man who constantly warns me that the female of the species is more deadly than the male."

"Ah yes. Angelique." Kuryakin watched the dancer for several moments, until his partner wondered if the subject had closed. But eventually, his voice slightly thick, Illya continued, "She has taken her vulnerability and wrapped it around her like a shield. Always ready for a truce, sometimes even a surrender, and always on her terms. Angelique uses failure as a tool for whittling her enemies down, every opponent's victory a Pyrrhic one."

Solo considered for a moment, but was rapidly distracted by a good memory. He grinned at the thought and replied, "I wouldn't call ALL of them Pyrrhic."

"No? My friend, I do not believe that you could ever kill her, not under orders, not to save yourself, not in the height of anger." Napoleon might have objected that he wouldn't have to, but he was stopped by Illya finishing his thought. "Sometimes I fear I could not either."

Solo blinked at his partner. Kuryakin turned and raised an eyebrow at him, then turned back towards the THRUSH target.

Napoleon spoke first. "I thought you hated her."

"There is a price to be paid for understanding another person. I do not trust her, but I do not hate her."

"Ah."

The song ended with the dancer bowed, full bodied with her hands stretched before her on the floor, perfectly motionless until the curtain hid her from view.


End file.
